Music: Recent and recommended for August

A look at the latest from Kingsley Flood and Rockin’ Jason D. Williams, an eclectic covers collection spotlighting Bob Dylan’s ’80s output, and a vinyl reissue of a Bonnie Raitt classic.

Kingsley Flood, ‘Live at the Armory’George Hall’s guitar work provides even more of a backbone here than on Kingsley Flood’s stellar studio albums: Unassumingly raucous, it simultaneously grounds this live collection of the band’s best songs — recorded in front of a small crowd at the Armory in Somerville, Massachusetts — and sends it soaring at all the right moments. His turn on “Devil’s Arms Full,” all winking swagger and rockabilly raunch, is a particular standout.But as usual with these Boston-based folk-punk (or is it punk-folk?) rockers, “Live at the Armory” lives and dies by frontman Naseem Khuri’s lyrics and his breathless delivery of them. On rockers like “Strongman’ and “Sun Gonna Lemme Shine,” his compelling, wild-eyed rasp is impassioned, pointed and best of all, unique; there’s just no one else out there who sounds like this guy.Factor in killer horns and Jenee Morgan’s beautiful harmonies and counterpoints, and you have the perfect entry into Kingsley Flood’s world if you’ve yet to experience it -- or the perfect celebration of it if you have. (Info at kingsleyflood.com)

Rockin’ Jason D. Williams, ‘Hillbillies and Holy Rollers’Williams isn’t exactly the force of nature here that he was on 2010’s “Killer Instincts,” but the (slightly) slower place actually suits the new album well, taking Williams’ boogie-woogie piano licks and laconic vocal drawl in cheeky new directions.One of the album’s originals, the opening title track, stomps and rolls as it lays out the country push-and-pull of juggling the “Good Book on Sundays, Saturday nights in bars.” Meanwhile, “This is Rock & Roll,” the most obvious nod to Williams’ muse Jerry Lee Lewis, allows him to beat the keys with his usual fervor while celebrating early rock’s power and pleasures.But it’s the covers that really make “Hillbillies” a keeper — Williams’ sly piano take on Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” stands among that song’s most enjoyable versions. And his snappy “Sweet Georgia Brown” actually breathes new life into the old chestnut, effectively swiping it back from the Harlem Globetrotters. Short, punchy and irrepressible, “Hillbillies and Holy Rollers” is a half-hour or so well spent. (Info at rockinjasondwilliams.com)

Various Artists, ‘Bob Dylan in the ’80s, Volume One’There are pleasures to be found in Bob Dylan’s much-maligned ’80s output, and the contributors to “Bob Dylan in the ’80s” prove it on one of the most consistent collections of Dylan covers to come along in a while.The album only has one flat-out disaster: Reggie Watts’ truncated, jumbled up version on “Brownsville Girl,” easily Dylan’s masterpiece of that decade. But the rest of the tracks are all worthwhile: The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn was made to cover “Sweetheart Like You,” and Glen Hansard’s ragged “Pressing On,” from Dylan’s “Saved,” captures the simplicity and beauty of Bob’s “gospel” output.Some of these songs were just so well constructed by Dylan that it would take a concerted effort to do them poorly — “Jokerman” and “Dark Eyes” come to mind, and the versions here, by Built to Spill and Dawn Landes with Bonnie “Prince” Billy, are suitably stunning.More impressive, though, are the “lesser” tracks that the cover artists make their own: “When The Night Comes Falling From the Sky,” a Springsteen knockoff from “Empire Burlesque,” becomes a jangly triumph in Lucius’ hands. And “Got My Mind Made Up,” a bluesy trifle from “Knocked Out Loaded,” translates much better in Langhorne Slim’s banjo-laden Americana version.“Bob Dylan in the ’80s” shows that era to be a more than worthy inspiration to Bobophiles present and future. Not to mention deserving of space on your Bob mixtape (whatever that is). (Info at 80sdylan.com)

Vinyl Spotlight: Bonnie Raitt, ‘Nick of Time’Capitol Records/UMe has issued a vinyl re-release of Bonnie Raitt’s “Nick of Time” to commemorate its 25th anniversary, which is as good a reason as any to revisit the album — and I’m happy to report it holds up beautifully. Awash in gravelly blues and poignant ballads, it’s smooth without being slick, and her slide guitar work is, frankly, mesmerizing.Raitt’s two original compositions are easily among the album’s best: The opening title track is one of the most thoughtful meditations on aging ever set to music. And “The Road’s My Middle Name,” closes the album with a rollicking, worn-in vibe that feels well-earned.In between those two tracks are an impressive array of blues rock efforts, several of which today feel like standards. The buoyant riff Raitt puts on John Hiatt’s “Thing Called Love” only amplifies the song’s infectious appeal, and on Bonnie Hayes’ winking “Love Letter,” Raitt’s crisp drawl generates the steam heat of as-yet-unrequited love.Twenty-five years later, the remastered vinyl edition is a wonderful way to relive all these songs — rarely has an artist been better suited for vinyl’s warm tone. If you somehow missed it the first time around, there’s no (nick of) time like the present to discover Raitt’s stunning comeback. (Info at bonnieraitt.com)—— Peter Chianca writes about books and a lot more for Pete’s Pop Culture, Parenting & Pets Blog at northofboston.wickedlocal.com/section/blogs. Email him at pchianca@wickedlocal.com.